In honor of the new season coming up, we are having a Day of Thrones marathon where we will watch the entire first season to prep us for the start of Season 2. In preparation I combed the interwebs in search of some good ideas for a drinking game for the viewing.

Here is what I have so far (not that I will use them all, well maybe, but ones I liked and organized them a little).

Somebody says ------------------"A Lannister always pays his debts""It is known""Just so""Winter is coming""seven hells"Imp, Cripple, Bastard, or Any Other Reference to Unfortunate Births"We'll talk when I get back...""little lord"

When someone calls Arya a boyBran says something about being a cripple.Viserys says he is the dragon/don't wake the dragon

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

I was wondering about this series. Is it a great show for its own sake? Is it "follow the books" great, or is it great only if you ignore the gaping disparities between the books and the television series? Or is the show legitimately better than the source material?

I haven't actually read the books yet, but probably will in the future. I'd probably like to watch the series as well if it's any good, but I was burned pretty badly by the godawful "Legend of the Seeker" show. It's incredible that they managed to go so completely off the rails in the very first episode . . .

It as close to the books, as it dares to be, being a television show. George RR Martin was thrilled with it, if that makes a difference. It is also a great show for its own sake. I am a big fan of all the books (recently finished dance with dragons) and can say that the hbo show kicks butt, despite being somewhat different, and of course skipping over chunks of story that just aren't transferable. The books cover so many years, locations and characters, that its amazing how much they *did* include in the tv series.

Anyway I can launch into a lengthy review, but will spare you I give the series a 4.5/5

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

I agree with Muro on giving it a 4.5, hell Ill give it a 4.75 due to the addition of so much nudity. yes Im a pervert. It keeps to the books nearly as much as you possibly could. I honestly have never seen a tv show or a movie that has kept to a book as much as this series has. I was rereading the series as I was watching the show and keep up and was amazed at how close it was kept and how entertaining it was to actually see what I was reading. Bottom line, read the books and watch the show. However the first time watch with without playing the drinking game.

I will give it a 5/5 because I read the first book long ago and didn't enjoy it enough to continue. Watched the first couple episodes and it brought back the book straight to mind. So I read the entire series (up to the most recent anyway, another frick'n Robert Jordan). Anyway, the movie was awesome enough that it rejuvenated my reading of the entire series and I had no plans to ever do that. Still not my favorite set of books by any stretch but the movie simply makes them KICK ASS in all ways possible!!

Watch it, watch it now.

Do the drinking game, but do small sips.

As far as me thinking to suggest reading the books first...not sure if you need to. If you like the movie, the book will be that much better and the movie that much more fun for you because of your ignorance. I would probably put my vote towards watching the movies and then read the book!

Forgot to mention the Seeker movies. I liked the series but it was like Xena or Hercules. They have the characters and world and only loosely use the actual book parts. Been to long for me to qualify that but, as a whole, I enjoyed the first season and just realized there is a second. In my queue!